It's clear that Bill Belichick thought very highly of David Patten.
During a WEEI interview Tuesday morning, the New England Patriots head coach spoke at length about Patten, who died last week in a motorcycle accident. Belichick revealed that he, after learning of the former Patriots receiver's death, watched film from the 2001 AFC divisional round "Snow Bowl" game, in which Patten caught eight balls for 107 yards.
"(Patten's death) was very, very sad news for the organization," Belichick said during an appearance on "The Greg Hill Show." " ... Thinking about the Snow Bowl, the 100 yards he had receiving in the snow. So, I went back and watched some of those films, thinking about David. Saw you (Jermaine Wiggins) and your catches, and the one that pass that David didn't catch that went through his hands that you caught -- an amazing play.
"It's really ... a celebration of David's great life that he lived, but also a very, very sad day for our team to hear the news on Friday. I know how much he meant to you (Wiggins) and how much he meant to all of us. What an inspirational person he was. He'll be missed, he's in our thoughts and his family is in our prayers."
Listen to Belichick talk about Patten in the tweet below:
Patten was 47 years old at the time of his death.
The undrafted Western California product caught 165 balls for 2,513 yards with 16 receiving touchdowns over his four seasons in New England. He also rushed for a score and threw a passing touchdown.
Of course, Patten was a key contributor on three Super Bowl championship teams. You can click here to watch the entire Snow Bowl.
